SPECIAL EDUCATION ADVISORY COMMITTEEWhat it does and why it is important to you and your child

It is the law that every school board in Ontario must have a Special Education Advisory Committee composed of 3 school trustees and up to 12 representatives from community advocacy groups that represent exceptional children. This committee advises the trustees and school board administration about special education programs and services. Specifically, the SEAC

makes recommendations to the board with respect to any matter affecting the establishment, development, and delivery of special education programs and services for exceptional pupils of the board

participates in the board’s annual review of its special education plan

participates in the board’s annual budget process as it relates to special education

reviews the financial statements of the board as they relate to special education

provides information to parents, as requested.

SEAC is critically important to exceptional children across the province, and the Association for Bright Children is the ONLY recognized provincial parent association supporting the needs of Ontario's gifted students, We advocate for the needs of gifted children so that they can receive the supports that they need in order to learn.

This is all done through parent volunteer advocacy.

Supports for gifted children vary wildly throughout the province, despite the Ministry of Education recognizing giftedness as an exceptionality. ABC Ontario has noticed a correlation between parent advocacy in communities and the extent to which gifted children are accommodated. For this reason, ABC London has a worked hard to maintain team of dedicated members who represent ABC at SEAC throughout each school year. In cities such as Windsor, where SEAC representation did not continue, the gifted program was dismantled.

This is why it is important for parents to advocate for their children and to join with other parents in the community to assert the importance of specialized support for their children.

Children who are identified as gifted have an IQ of 130 or higher and are as different, intellectually speaking, from their peers as a child with an IQ of 70 as you can see by examining the bell curve of IQ distribution. When the social, emotional, and intellectual needs of a gifted child are considered, there is no doubt that a specialized set of supports is required in order to meet their needs. Consistent SEAC representation is a key element in ensuring that access to those supports continues to be made available to families in Ontario communities. To read more about advocating as a parent for your child, read about formal identification and advocating for your child on this page.